By Chinelo Obogo
For 15 years, instructors at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna, have endured poor and stagnant wages.
In fact, a key component of their earnings called ‘Peculiar Allowance’ remains unreviewed since 2009.
As inflation bites harder and morale plummets, the institution, unarguably the largest and most well-established aviation school in West Africa, is witnessing a quiet but steady exodus of highly skilled trainers.
The brain drain is triggering alarm bells among stakeholders and threatening NCAT’s reputation and the future of aviation training in Nigeria.
Established in 1964, NCAT is recognised as an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Regional Training Center of Excellence, offering a wide range of courses with students pouring in from all parts of the world.
For nearly six decades, NCAT has trained pilots, air traffic controllers, engineers and other aviation professionals and its reputation was built on the expertise of seasoned specialists.
These instructors formed the backbone of an institution that consistently produced some of Africa’s finest aviation professionals.
It is the need to return the institution to its old glory that successive chief executives have clamoured for a pay review.
While waiting for the federal government to fulfill its endless promises, many instructors are exiting to better establishments where remunerations are more handsome.
The salary structure, Daily Sun gathered, is so inadequate for professionals training the next generation of aviation experts
Those that have decided to stay in the spirit of patriotism feel used, abused and dumped.
For years, NCAT instructors have endured salaries and allowances that pales in comparison to other aviation parastatals in Nigeria.
Daily Sun reliably learned that presently, a level 17 officer in NCAT earns under N700,000 monthly which is significantly lower than what their peers in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) earn, where a Level 15 officer takes home at least N1 million, not including other allowances.
Daily Sun also learned that NCAT currently operates with only 10 Air Traffic Control instructors in its Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Communications (COMS) School and these instructors are meant to cover the needs of the entire college including Standard Air Traffic Control, Aeronautical Information Services and Communications programs.
This severe shortage has prevented existing staff from progressing in their careers, as many Air Traffic Controllers, for instance, are stuck on just two of their five entitled ratings due to the lack of available instructors.
“Compared to other aviation parastatals, NCAT is the worst. Some pilot instructors who were recently recruited have all eloped. A staff of the college who had spent 10 years and was leaving was entitled to a paltry sum of N1.1 million and it is because of issues like this that people are leaving. That’s why people are leaving.
“The scheme of service in NCAT is terrible to say the least. Our allowances were reviewed about two years ago due to the brain drain. Allowance was N30,000 at the time, but just when some instructors were about getting a job at a sister agency and knowing that their departure would shake the foundation of the college, the former Rector, Capt. Modibo approved what is called an extra productivity allowance to the sum of N187,500.
“Shortly afterwards, more instructors wanted to leave again and due to the fact that the remuneration was still below par. That was when the current Minister of Aviation approved an increment in allowances to pay the equivalent of NAMA ATC ratings allowances. This approval was done since last year July but till date, the Salaries and Wages Commission is yet to approve. NAMA is even on the verge of getting a new package. Moreover, most of these allowances are not captured in Conditions of Service. They are mostly based on agreement and are documented separately. Allowances are different from salaries as they’re approved by Salaries and Wages,” the source said.
Structural problems
The remuneration crisis at NCAT reflects the problems within Nigeria’s aviation sector. While agencies like the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), and NAMA can supplement their budgets with their internally generated revenue, NCAT remains tied to the federal government’s salary structures and they are required to remit 50% of their earnings to the treasury.
This arrangement creates a vicious cycle where NCAT cannot pay competitive salaries because it must surrender half of its revenue to the government, yet it cannot generate sufficient revenue to sustain itself.
When compared to other aviation agencies, NCAT is lagging behind. For instance, under the leadership of Olubunmi Kuku, FAAN not only approved a significant increase in allowance, the management also paid up to nine months in arrears, with the lowest-paid staff receiving over N700,000 in back payments. Similarly, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, under Captain Chris Najomo, introduced housing and hardship allowances that significantly improved staff welfare.
Peculiar allowance
Central to NCAT’s compensation challenges is the “peculiar allowance”, a special payment structure which was intended to bridge the gap between standard government salaries and industry rates. This allowance was introduced during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration when Isa Yuguda served as Minister of Aviation and it was done specifically to address the high attrition rate that was already threatening the institution’s viability. However, very reliable sources revealed to Daily Sun that this allowance has not been reviewed since 2007 when it should have undergone at least three reviews by now.
Explaining further, a source in NCAT said: “Attempts were made in the last two years to increase this peculiar allowance, but until now, there has been no approval to that effect because the process has not been concluded. Improving this holistically will cushion the effect of the existing salary that NCAT staff take home, which is based on the Federal Polytechnic Salary Scheme, CONSPCASS and CONTEDISS. On the other hand, the goal is to relieve the college of some of the 50% deductions, which would help the college pay some allowances that would go a long way toward cushioning the effect.
“The challenge that NCAT is facing is that while agencies like FAAN, NCAA, NSIB and NAMA pay themselves from their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), it is the Federal Government that pays NCAT, which is why the college is tied to the government’s salary structure. NCAT cannot pay staff from its IGR without serious downsizing, especially because it still has to remit 50 percent of whatever it earns. The NSIB and NCAA have the same salary structure but FAAN’s is higher.
“The last time our allowances were reviewed was two years ago and the increase was really very small compared to industry standards. The most effective solution at the moment is for the Federal Government to relieve the college of the 50% IGR remittances and immediately review the peculiar allowance to reflect the current salary structure and economic realities.”
Rector laments
During an interview he granted recently, the Rector, NCAT, Dr. Danjuma Ismaila, lamented the institution’s poor remuneration structure, describing it as the worst-paying agency in the nation’s aviation sector. While calling for urgent policy reforms to address brain drain and preserve the college’s critical role in the industry, he said NCAT staff constantly flock to airlines where remunerations are more handsome. Dr. Ismaila, who mounted the saddle recently, said his mandate is to make NCAT financially independent, increase revenue and expand its impact across Africa. His success strategy includes the immediate operationalisation of the flight simulator which has remained dormant for many years.
He said: When I assumed office, one major challenge was the decline of trained staff due to poor compensation. We currently have the lowest salaries among aviation agencies and it is severely affecting our ability to retain personnel. Most trained members of staff have left for better opportunities, with many joining private airlines.
“We’ve approached the Salaries and Wages Commission and requested special salary considerations to bridge the gap with industry standards. Our college needs competitive compensation packages similar to what the Petroleum Training Institute receives in the oil sector. Their salary alignment with industry rates enables them to retain experts effectively. We require similar treatment to maintain our workforce.
The current salary disparity undermines our capacity-building efforts and threatens our operational sustainability. These strategic interventions will help us develop and retain the talented professionals essential for effective succession planning and institutional growth.”